Areas of Expertise

Background

Professor McCord received his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan. A specialist in Chinese history, he lived and studied for five years in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. His research has focused mainly on the history of Chinese military-civil relations in the modern era, examining topics such as the emergence of warlordism, the relationship between military force and social-political power, and the impact of military atrocities on Chinese public opinion. He is currently working on a major book-length project that examines militia organizations in Republican China (1911-1949). Before coming to The George Washington University, he was an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Florida. Besides teaching at GW, Professor McCord has also lectured on Chinese history at the Foreign Service Institute and the Smithsonian Institution's Campus on the Mall program. Professor McCord is also a member of the editorial board of Modern China.